Zora and Tariq sprinted down the street, away from the house.
"I'm ready to blast him at a moment's notice!" Nexus blurted, her light blinking in a frenzy as she orbited Tariq.
Tariq slowly turned his head — his glowing, distant eyes locked on her.
"Oh heavens!" Nexus yelped, immediately zipping in front of Zora like a shield. "He... he can see us? All of us?"
At the end of the block, they made a sharp right turn.
"Z… I—I'm—"
"Shut up!" Zora snapped. "Just run, Tariq."
As if sensing the urgency, he grunted, scooped her into his arms—
"WHAT THE FU—!"
Her words were torn away by the wind as they rocketed down the road.
...Maybe this isn't so bad, she thought, blinking rapidly as the world blurred past. He's strong...
She felt the flex of his muscles around her as he carried her.
Then suddenly — stillness.
He set her down gently.
Zora turned around, stunned.
They were on the outskirts of Dahlonega. What would've taken twenty minutes by car, they had crossed in under sixty seconds.
"How did you—" she started.
But Tariq dropped to his knees, clutching his head. "Z… Z, please. I can't."
Zora instinctively stepped back.
"Help me, Z... please…"
The ground beneath him began to smolder. Grass turned black. The air shimmered from the heat.
"He can't control it!" Aegis yelled. "Ricochet!"
The cane appeared in Zora's grip as Ricochet flew into her chest.
"T... what's happening to you?"
Tariq sobbed, his hands clawing at his scalp. "The voices, Z... I can't stop it. It burns..."
Zora had never seen Tariq cry. It gutted her.
"Dear," Nexus said gently, voice trembling, "You know what you have to do. Either walk away... or end it now, while he's vulnerable."
The world blurred. Zora squeezed her eyes shut, took a shaky breath.
"T... I—I can't... I can't do this."
"Yes you can," Tariq said, barely audible. "Z, I can—"
"YOU CAN WHAT?" she screamed. "KILL ME LIKE YOUR MOM KILLED MY PARENTS?!"
Silence.
She hadn't meant to say it — but it burst out like wildfire.
Tariq froze.
His hands dropped to his sides. His chest rose and fell in ragged gasps.
"Don't leave me, Z... please."
Zora's heart shattered.
His eyes... they weren't just full of tears. They were full of loss.
In a flash, she saw it — a life they could've had. Growing old. Laughing. Raising kids. Dying together.
She blinked it away.
"If I ever see you again..." she whispered, "I'll kill you. We're done, Tariq. I can't trust you anymore."
Tariq closed his eyes.
Then stood up.
"Okay, Zora," he said quietly. "Okay."
The heat around him intensified. Zora broke into a sweat just standing there as he turned and began trudging down the road — away from Dahlonega. Away from her.
"You did the right thing," Aegis whispered.
But Zora didn't respond.
She gripped the cane so hard her knuckles turned white.
And she just stood there — trembling — watching him disappear down the road.
When Tariq was finally out of sight, Zora released her grip on the cane. Ricochet floated silently out of her chest, his light dimmer than usual.
No one said a word.
They stood in silence.
Zora felt hollow — like something vital had been ripped out of her chest. But it was too much. Too heavy. So she shut it all off. She didn't feel anything.
"Are you okay?" Spark asked gently, blinking as he hovered in front of her.
Zora shook her head.
"No," she said quietly. "But… thanks for asking."
She turned around and started walking back toward Dahlonega.
"We… we need food. And water," she muttered. "We can't stay here. Not with Miss Mathis… starting to corrupt this place."
Her steps picked up.
"There's a mini-mart a few miles out. We'll go there."
The stars trailed behind her in silence. A few of them tried to talk — lighthearted voices offering comfort, comments, questions — but Zora didn't answer.
Eventually, they fell quiet too.
Floating behind her.
Following her back toward the town she used to call home.